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The Homesteader
In the early days of cinema, black creators also took on multiple roles in order to build their own alternative to Hollywood. And few did so more than Oscar Micheaux, the man who made 1919's The Homesteader, the first feature-length motion picture with an all-black cast. -
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The minor roles black actors got in Hollywood
In the 30s and 40s, black actors were often marginalised in servile Hollywood roles but the artistry of their performances still stood out. -
Hattie McDaniel
She is the first African-American performer to receive an Oscar: on February 29, 1940, during the 12th Academy Awards, she received that of best supporting actress for her incarnation of Mammy, in Gone with the Wind. -
Release of popular films with black casts
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Dorothy Dandridge
She was nominated for her role in Carmen Jones in 1954 and was the first black woman nominated for the "best actress" oscar. -
Rosa Parks
On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks, a 42-year-old black woman, was arrested for refusing to give up her seat to a white man on a bus in the city of Montgomery, Alabama (United States). -
Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" speech.
On August 28, 1963, Martin Luther King delivered his famous "I have a dream" speech in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, during the March for Jobs and Freedom. -
Diahann Carroll
Diahann Carroll was the first black woman to lead a network series. She was the star of the sitcom Julia (1968-71). -
The birth of hip hop
August 11, 1973 is the date commonly considered as the birth date of hip-hop, an underground artistic movement that has conquered the world. -
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Outbreak of black actors and actresses
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Thriller
Michael Jackson's "Thriller" becoming the best-selling album of all-time. -
No more money spent on black movies
Money for projects with black casts dried up in Hollywood by the end of the '90s -
Halle Berry : the first black woman to win the "best actress" oscar
She won the Oscar for best actress for her role in the drama In the Shadow of Hate. She is the first (and only) African-American to receive this award. -
BLM
Black Lives Matter is a political movement born in 2013 in the United States within the African-American community, which campaigns against systemic racism against black people. -
Misty Copeland break glass ceilings in ballet
Misty Copeland made history in 2015 as the first African American female principal dancer to join the prestigious American Ballet Theatre. -
Super Bowl 50
The song and the performance of Beyonce reflect her cultural and ethnic identity, it is "about where she comes from and where she is going". -
The Hate U Give
The Hate U Give is a book written by Angie Thomas which was published in 2017 and adapted into a movie in 2018. -
Get out
Get Out is a 2017 American psychological horror film written, co-produced and directed by Jordan Peele. Starring Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Williams, Catherine Keener and Bradley Whitford, the film deals with racism. The film received a majority of positive reviews in the press, it was also a huge commercial success and it won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay in 2018 . -
Mary J. Blige
Blige was nominated for an Oscar for her role in the movie "Mudbound" in 2018. -
The Hate U Give -> movie
The Hate U Give is a movie inspired by a book written by Angie Thomas. The movie was published in 2018 and realised by George Tillman Jr. -
Black panther
Release of the marvel film Black Panther in 2018 directed by Ryan Coogler -
Zendaya
Zendaya received Primetime Emmy Award of the best actress in a television drama series in 2020 for her role in the tv-show Euphoria. -
Kamala Harris
Kamala Harris made history as the first black woman, black person, and person of Asian descent to be elected to the nation's second-highest office in 2020 -
Black Panther 2
Release of the marvel film Black Panther 2 in 2022 directed by Ryan Coogler -
Hakeem Jeffries
Rep. Hakeem Jeffries made history as the first black lawmaker to lead a party in Congress, succeeding Nancy Pelosi as leader of the Democratic Causus. -
Trevor Noah
Trevor Noah said goodbye to The Daily Show in early December, which in itself is a major pop culture moment. But he used his last moment as a host to remind the audience and the whole world of the value that black women bring to society. -
Rihanna
Rihanna announced her pregnancy in January, her return to music and hinted at her performance at the upcoming Super Bowl in 2023. -
The Woman King
The Woman King is a movie written by Gina Prince-Bythewood and released in 2022. It tells the story of a group of all-female warriors who protect the African kingdom of Dahomey in the 1800s. -
LeBron James NBA scoring record
In February 2023, LeBron James broke the NBA scoring record with his 38,388th point and surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who held the record for nearly 39 years. -
Coco Gauff's U.S. Open Win
At the 2023 U.S. Open, Coco Gauff, 19, became the youngest champion since Serena William's historic victory in 1999. -
Simone Biles Gymnastic Wins
In 2023, Simone Biles became the most decorated gymnast in history with 34 medals across the world championships and Olympics.